Locking socket



y 1930. D. M. LE FEVER 1,771,049

LOCKING SOCKET Filed June 2, 1927 9M6 Q2 557W! attozmq Patented July 22, 1930 K. STATES- PATENT OFFICE DANIEL M. LErnvER, or sYRAousn, new. YoR AssIGuoR ro PASS & SEYMOUR,

INoo roRA'rEn, or SYRACUSE, new YORK, A CORPORATION or new .YoRK

LOCKING sooxur This invention relates to a socketyor rec'eptac'le for lamps,ffuses and the like and more particularly to a locking mechanism" for the prevention of unauthor zed removal of devices placed in the socket. r V

It'isthe general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved form of locking socket. f 'More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a-locking socket in which theoperating memberextends at but a slight angle to the axis of the socket where by locking may be readily done even though the socket be in a deep reflector or in a husk: Afurther object of the invention consists in the provision, in a receptacleof'the type described, 01": a resiliently mounted' prong adapted to be moved throughan opening in the screw shell to engage thef base of the lamp or other device in the socket, together with screw threaded means carried bytheprong and adapted to engage a wedge surface, upon the outer shell of the socket, to force said prong through said opening when the threaded part is rotated by suitable means" i 1' Other and further objects of the inventionwill be more fully understood by those skilled in the art from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification whereinis disclosed, by way of example, a singleembodiment-of the invention'JWith the understanding, however, that suchchanges may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without; departing from the spirit of the inventioni'zm I I In said drawings Eig l' is a side elevation er "a gara e...

structed according to the present invention, a portion of the socket being broken away to disclose the locking means.

f Fig. 2 is-a viewsimilar to view l butj-taken atiright angles thereto, and

Fig. 3 is a' perspective-view of thelocking mechanism. b Locking sockets have been constructed in various forins for various purposes but the essentiah'purpose of the majority of 'such moval of lamps and the like from sockets in public and semi-public places. Incidently, such locking devices serve to prevent lamps from jarring loosedue to vibrations. The majority ofsuch constructions have been expensive to manufacture and diflicult to operate and most of them have not been satisfactory for use in husks or for use in deep reflectors. The present invention contemplates an. extremely simple construction which does not change the over-all dimensions of the receptacle and yet which is readily accessible for operation on a line just passing the side of the lamp inserted in the socket andthus at the open end of a husk or asdesired. The latter is preferably cylindrical having a suitable axial recess 13therein, for the reception of the screw shell 14. Obviously the applicants device may be applied to mostany type of receptacle and is not limited to the type shown wherein the outer shell is formed of insulating material. If desired, a reflector may be secured between the, two parts 11 and 12 of the receptacle which are readily separable. V

The screw shell is of such diameter as to fit easily within the opening 13 and the shell has its bottom secured to the bottom of the recess by fastening means not shown. In the form shown, the outer shell 12 has a peripheral flange 15 formed integral therewith. At one side, this flange iscut away to form the pocket 16 in communication with the recess 13. This pocket connects with a depression 17, in the part- 12, in the wall 18 forming the bottom of the recess 13 by meansof a'groove 19 in the wall of the recess 13. The pocket, groove stamping of sheet metal preferably some-.

sockets. is:to prevent the unauthorized rewhat resilient. The base 20 is adapted'to fit in the recess 17 and to be permanently secured therein by means of the screw 21. Extending at right angles from one end of the base is the shank or strap 22 which may be provided with a longitudinal slot 23 to increase the resilience. Projecting in the same direction from the shank as does the base 20, are the two prongs 2i secured to the edges of the shank, as shown, at the end remote from the base. A portion of the shank extending beyond the prongs is bent backward to form the screw receiving ear 25. The angle between this portion and the shank is less than 90 as best seen in Fig. 1. The portion 25 is drilled and threaded to receive the screw 26 formed of any suitable metal. This screw is provided on its one end with the enlarged head 27 which prevents the same from being withdrawn outwardly. The opposite end'of the screw is reduced in diameter and provided with some non-circular wrench receiving portion 28 preferably triangular in cross section.

It will be seen that the screw can only be inserted from the direction of the base oi": the locking means, and to insert the same it must be passed through the slot 23 which is wide enough to pass the head of the screw.

lVith the mechanism mounted as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the prongs 24 are adjacent holes 29 in the screw shell and flexing of the shank 22 will cause said prongs to pass through these holes and engage with the base of the lamp or any similar device in the screw shell to positively prevent rotation of the same. Inward movement of the prongs results from a cooperation of the rounded head 27 of the screw 26 and the sloping surface 30 of the wall of the pocket 16. This surface 30 inclines to the axis of the socket at a greater angle than does the axis of the screw as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Any rotation of the screw in a clockwise direction causes the head 27 to move inwardly and impinge against the surface 30, which, acting as a wedge, forces the whole prong end of the locking device inwardly. Continued movement of the screw causes the prongs to pass through the holes 29 and engage the base of the lamp to securely lock the same in the screw shell. Reverse movement of the screw causes a release of the lamp.

Rotation of the screw is effected by a key such as 31 formed of suitable insulating material providel at its end with a metal socket portion 32 provided with a socket 33 of suitable configuration to cooperate with the reduced end, 28, o f the screw. When the screw is turned inwardly to lock a lamp in position its end 28 is below the surface 34- of the end of the outer shell 12 and being thus recessed in the narrow slot forming the pocket 16, can not readily be grasped by tools other than the proper key to thus be manipulated by unauthorized persons. The angle at which the key engages the screw is such that it just passes the side of a lamp which may be arranged in the receptacle. Thus, no matter how deep the reflector in which the socket may be placed, or how confining the husk, the looking mechanism is always available. The mechanism for securing .two parts of the socket together is only accessible from inside of the screw shell, and hence when a lamp is locked in the screw shell, the socket cannot be separated. This positively insures-against the removal of the lamp by separation of the socket.

The device just described takes a minimum space within the receptacle and hence is readily adapted for use with substantially any type of receptacle. The shank 22 neednot be arranged within a groove 19 but may merely occupy the small space between the screw shell ll and the wall of the recess 13.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a socket for lamps .or the like, in combination, an outer shell, a screw shell therein having a hole through its wall, a prong supported for movement through said hole, a screw movable with said prong and inclined at an angle to the direction of movement of the prong, a surface inclined to the axis of said screw, the end of said screw engaging said surface whereby rotation of said screw causes movement of said prong.

2. In a socket for lamps, in combination, an outer shell, a screw shell therein having a hole through its wall, a prong resiliently supported adjacent said screw shell, in alignment with said hole and adapted for movement through said hole, a screw supported for movement with said prong, a surface on said outer shell inclined to the axis of said screw, one end of said screw engaging said surface whereby a rotation of said screw pauses a movement of said prong through said iole.

3. In a socket for lamps, in combination, an outer shell, a screw shell secured therein having a hole through its wall, a strap secured to said socket structure and extending between the walls of said shells and having a prong thereon adapted to move through said hole when said strap is flexed toward said screw shell, and means carried by said strap adapted to be adjustably engaged with said outer shell to flex said strap and force said prong through said hole.

4. In a socket for lamps, in combination, an outer shell, a screw shell secured therein having a hole through its wall, a strap secured to said socket structure, extending between the walls of said shells and having a prong thereon adapted to move through said hole when said strap is flexed toward said screw shell, a screw threaded through a portion oi said strap with its axis at a slight angle to the '10 signature.

axis of said socket, and a surface on said outer shell inclined to the axis of said screw whereby movement of said screw causes the same to engage said surface and 'flex said strap.

In a socket forlamps, in combination, an outer shell, a screw shell therein having a hole through its wall, a metal strap having its inner end secured to said outer shell near the inner end of said screw shell, said strap extending between the walls of said shells, an integral prong on said strap adapted to project through said hole when the strap is flexed toward 'said screw shell, a portion of said strap having a hole therethrough adapted to receive a screw with its axis slightlyinclined to the axis of said socket, a surface on said outer shell at an angle to the" axis of said screw, the end of said screw being adapted to engage said surface when the screw is rotated to flex said strap. 7

6. In a socket in combinationa screw shell having a hole through the wall thereof, a prong mounted for movement through said hole in "a direction substantially at right angles to the axis of said socket and means movable with said prong and mounted for movement also substantially at right angles to the line of movement of said prong to move thesame. i r

7. A locking member for a lamp socket including in combination a strap having a portion adapted to be secured to a socket and a shank, a prong on said shank, an ear on said shank at an acute angle thereto and adapted to receive a screw from within the angle, said shank having a slot therein to allow passage of the screw'therethrough.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my DANIEL M. LE FEVER. 

